Wire rope or cable



.June 13 1939- w. E. soMERvlLLE WIRE ROPE OR CABLE 2 sheets-smet 1 Filed July l, 1938 June 13, 1939- I w. E. soMERvlLLE 2,162J30 Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Claims.

'I'his invention relates to improvements in wire` find its way into the rope or cable between the strands and the entire rope or cable will not be lubricated` l y It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide means whereby the lubricant may` be applied to therope orcabie from the inside thereof after lthe ropeA or cable has been installed for use and which lubricant will work its way outwardly so as to thoroughly iubricate the same, and at the same time not interfere with the flexibility oi the rope or cable.

A further object is to provide improved means for locking or securing'the strands or wires together so that in th'e event any one or more of the wires should break they will not unravel and at the same time'an improved lock coil rope will be produced without the necessity of preforming the wires or strands of the rope.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment oi other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features oi novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention, and in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a single strand rope or cable constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of a portion of a multiple strand rope or cable with portion of the strands removed.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of a wire rope or cable constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention showing one form oi' core.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing another form o! core.

Figure 5 is a view oi a multiple strand rope or cable similar to Figure i.

Figure 6 is a detail view in elevation on an enlarged scale, oi' a multiple strand rope or cable, with portions of the respective strands removed. Figure l is a detail sectional view taken on Zine 1 1. ligure 6.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 of another form of the invention.

I n the form of the invention shown in Figures l to 4 there is shown a single strand rope or cable comprising a flexible hollow core I constructed of any suitable material preferably in the form of a coil of wire with the convolutions in close proximity to each other.

Encompassing the core lll is a supplemental core Il which in the form of the invention shown in Figure 3 is constructedof strands of any suitable fibrous material such for instance Aas hemp and encompassing the supplemental vcore are layers of wires i2, any number of layers being provided according to the diameter oi the stra it is desired to produce, and ifdesired interm te wiresf-may also be provided.

'I'heouter layer of the strand is formed of wires Il and I alternately arranged, and each ofthe respective wires is normally of uniform crosssectional diameter. The wires Il are constructed of material considerably softer than the material from which the wires l5 are constructed, so that when the wires I4 and I5 are twisted or coiled about the other layers and the core and the completed strand passed through the usual die, the wires I5, will imbed themselves in the adjacent wires il causing the shape of the wires of -the softer material to be changed in cross-section, thereby producing a locked coil rope.

With this construction, and should one of the wires of the outer or peripheral layer become broken, it will not unravel but will be held locked in position against such unraveling.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4, the supplemental coil it is formed oi metal, such as steel, and is flexible so as not to inter- 1ere with the flexibility ofthe cable.

At each end of the core i0 there is arranged a closure l1 which may be of any desired or suitable construction but is preferably oi a construction that an ordinary fgrease gun" can be applied thereto so that the lubricant can be forced through the coupling I1 and into the core Il. The core being hollow and being formed of coiled material, the lubricant will ilnd its way between the convolutions, and in the form of the invention shown in Figure 3 will contact with the fibrous core I2 to be partially absorbed thereby and will pass through the convolutions orstrands of the core I6 in the form of the invention shown in Figure 4.

With this construction it will be manifest that the lubricant will iind its way between the layers of wires forming the cable or strand and will lubricate the same from the inside toward the periphery thereof. This will result in a thorough and complete lubrication of the strand or cable.

If desired, suitable heads I8 may be secured to the ends of the strand.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 5 to 8 a plurality of strands I9 may be employed which encompass a hollow flexible core 20 similar to the core IIJ. In the form shown in Figure 7 a supplemental core 2| constructed of any suitable brous material, such as hemp and similar to the core shown lin Figure 3, is employed and encompasses central core 20. In the form shown in Figure 8 a supplemental metallic core 22 is employed and encompasses the hollow flexible core 20. A

In the forms shown in Figures 5 to 8, the plurality of-strands I9 are twisted about the core in the usual manner and heads 23 may be secured to the ends of the cable. l

It will therefore be manifest that with the present invention a thorough and eilicient lubrication will be provided and in the manufacture of the strands round wires may be employed and the necessity of providing preformed wires to produce a lock coil structure will be obviated.

vWhile the preferred forms of the invention have been herein shown and described it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, Without departing from the spiritof this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1.A A rope or cable embodying a stranded body, the periphery of the body comprising a plurality of separate elements contacting each other, certain of said elements being formed of softer material than certain other of said elements, whereby the harder elements will be seated or imbedded in the softer elements.

2. A rope or cable embodying a stranded body, the periphery of the` body comprising a plurality of separate elements, contacting each other, certain of said contacting elements being formed of softer material than certain other of said elements, whereby the harder elements will be seated or imbedded in the softer elements, the hard and soft elements being alternately arranged.

3. A wire' rope or cable comprising a body formed of a plurality of strand elements spirally arranged and extending in general directions lengthwise of the body, adjacent elements contacting each other, certain of said contacting elements being imbedded in other of the contacting elements to provide a lock coil cable, the alternate ones of the contacting elements being formed of material softer than the next adjacent elements.

4. A wire rope or cable embodying a stranded body, the periphery of the body comprising a plurality of separate elements contacting each other, certain of said contacting elements being formed of softer material than certain of said other elements, whereby the harder elements will be seated or imbedded in the softer elements, and a hollow flexible core encompassed by said elements. y

5. A wire rope or cable comprising a body formed of a plurality of strand elements spirally arranged and vextending in general directions lengthwise of the body, adjacent elements contacting each other, certain of said contacting elements being imbedded in the other of the contacting elements to provide a lock coil, the alternate ones ofthe contacting elements being formed of material softer than the next adjacent elements, and a hollow flexible core encompassed by said elements.

6. A wire rope' or cable comprising a body formed of a plurality of strand elements spirally arranged and extending in general directions lengthwise of the body, adjacent elements contacting each other, certain of said contacting elements being imbedded inthe other of the contacting elements to provide a lock coil, the alternate ones of the contacting elements being formed of material softer than the next adjacent elements, and a .hollow flexible core encompassed by said elements, said core formed of spiral convolutions.

WILLIAM E. SOMERVILLE. 

